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Topic: Review: Canon EOS Rebel SL2 (Read 13837 times)

The Camera Store has completed their video review of the brand new Canon EOS Rebel SL2. This camera was a bit of an afterthought when it was announced alongside the highly anticipated Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

I loved the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and I’ve been enjoying using the EOS Rebel SL2. I like how Jordan at TCSTV described the EOS Rebel SL2 when he said, “I almost consider this camera, a mirrorless camera that has this optical viewfinder tacked on top of it.”. I think that’s a perfect way to put the EOS Rebel SL2.

The biggest upgrade over the SL1 has to be the addition of DPAF, as I have personally already felt the benefit as I’m using the OVF a lot less on the SL2 than I did on its predecessor.

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No matter how many positive reviews, I can't see why a dSLR in 2017 would be attractive without AFMA. Sure, you get a kit lens, small aperture, won't make much difference. But then, if size is the selling point here, why not just go with one of the many mirrorless options?

If Canon is interested in keeping dSLR's viable, an entry-level option should be able to take sharp, accurately focused images with an ef 50mm f/1.4 or ef 85mm f/1.8. Lacking AFMA, this little body will hit or miss with fast primes. Again, I get the argument that this is for the cheap kit-lens crowd, but why are they even considering this? Somebody ready to "step up" to a dSLR from a compact or smartphone would also be considering at least one or two quality lenses--not L's, but decent primes. Somebody who just wants small, but otherwise has little knowledge of photography, will also be looking at mirrorless, which is slimmer in most cases...

Doubt this is for "Asian women buying bucketloads of M100's," like I've read in another thread. So, who is the target?

No matter how many positive reviews, I can't see why a dSLR in 2017 would be attractive without AFMA. Sure, you get a kit lens, small aperture, won't make much difference. But then, if size is the selling point here, why not just go with one of the many mirrorless options?

I think the point here is that you have many of the advantages of a mirrorless (size/weight, excellent touchscreen), some Canon-specifics (tilt/flip screen, full EF/S lens library, dual-pixel AF across the full sensor), etc, making it competitive with mirrorless in the same price range. Then as a bonus, you have a (very) low-end SLR system (pentameter view, nine-point AF) if you occasionally want to shoot in classic "SLR" mode without an EVF getting in the way.

On the downside, you don't have a nice EVF, just the full-back display. So you aren't going to have great stability while holding the camera unless you are using the low-end SLR bits. And no electronic shutter, for good or ill.

IMHO, it is a solid step up from a phone, with a feel of a 2005-era SLR (better AF than my EOS 300D, same viewfinder, much better sensor etc) thrown in to boot.

All that said, I think I'd like to see Canon enhance the 'M' line to include the nice ergonomics of the Digital Rebel line, without the mirror obviously, especially the tilt/flip screen. And give the damned thing an EVF option. Then you have a clear "next step" for phone users and first-party support for DSLR users with vast lens collections via the fairly cheap (esp for Canon gear) convertor.

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If Canon is interested in keeping dSLR's viable, an entry-level option should be able to take sharp, accurately focused images with an ef 50mm f/1.4 or ef 85mm f/1.8. Lacking AFMA, this little body will hit or miss with fast primes.

Through the viewfinder, with the anemic autofocus system, yes. But using dual-pixel we should be hitting AF accurately without AFMA, right? Which is to say: if you view this as a mirrorless with the capability to act as an ultra-low-end DSLR, rather than as an entry-level DSLR introducing the user to the world of DSLR photography, it makes a lot more sense.

It is more profitable for them to have this many separate models instead of combining all the features in one camera (like an EOS M5 with a fully articulating screen, which was included in many lower-end Canon cameras before, so it's not like they can't do it).The target user for this camera goes to the camera store and asks for a recommendation, not browsing on online forums.

Eventually they will probably get there of course and these will depreciate quite a bit afterwards.

To me, using an EVF is like three orders of magnitude less useful and enjoyable than using an OVF, and and LCD is another three orders of magnitude worse than that. So removing the mirror and OVF from this would instantly make it just short of useless to me.

The only thing I can find where I would like a mirrorless camera is my telescope. Sometimes it's at a rotten angle. Using the 80D was fine on it, however, but I wouldn't mind a full-frame for a wider field of view even with my reducer. However, I wouldn't pay more than about $300 for a full-frame mirrorless with T/S LCD to fill that role since it would be a one-trick pony.

if the sensor in this is truly up to the performance level of the 80d then I might even put one of these on my shelf when they start to fire-sale them. It would make a nice replacement for my my older Rebels and even 40d that I still keep around for a few reasons.Similar performance, tilty-flippy, DPAF, and considerably improved sensor i could live with?..

No matter how many positive reviews, I can't see why a dSLR in 2017 would be attractive without AFMA. Sure, you get a kit lens, small aperture, won't make much difference. But then, if size is the selling point here, why not just go with one of the many mirrorless options?

Because many folks prefer an OVF. And probably around 95% of SL2 buyers will never do AFMA and may not even know what AFMA is. Like so many folks here, you are confusing the small minority of forum members with the vast majority of camera owners. While not a pro, I consider myself a high level enthusiast that occasionally sells. I have never done AFMA on a lens and have never needed to. Like most photographers, I am not a pixel peeper, nor obsessed with sharpness.

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If Canon is interested in keeping dSLR's viable, an entry-level option should be able to take sharp, accurately focused images with an ef 50mm f/1.4 or ef 85mm f/1.8. Lacking AFMA, this little body will hit or miss with fast primes. Again, I get the argument that this is for the cheap kit-lens crowd, but why are they even considering this? Somebody ready to "step up" to a dSLR from a compact or smartphone would also be considering at least one or two quality lenses--not L's, but decent primes. Somebody who just wants small, but otherwise has little knowledge of photography, will also be looking at mirrorless, which is slimmer in most cases...

Doubt this is for "Asian women buying bucketloads of M100's," like I've read in another thread. So, who is the target?

The idea that people stepping up from compacts and smartphones will be looking at primes seems quite incorrect, in my opinion. I believe most folks that get this DSLR do so with the intent of getting good general zoom lenses that will cover the 18-55 and 55-250mm range. I haven't used a prime in over 20 years and have no interest in ever getting another. This is a small general purpose camera - not a camera that will be used with any primes in all likelihood. That is how I look at it.

No matter how many positive reviews, I can't see why a dSLR in 2017 would be attractive without AFMA. Sure, you get a kit lens, small aperture, won't make much difference. But then, if size is the selling point here, why not just go with one of the many mirrorless options?

If Canon is interested in keeping dSLR's viable, an entry-level option should be able to take sharp, accurately focused images with an ef 50mm f/1.4 or ef 85mm f/1.8. Lacking AFMA, this little body will hit or miss with fast primes. Again, I get the argument that this is for the cheap kit-lens crowd, but why are they even considering this? Somebody ready to "step up" to a dSLR from a compact or smartphone would also be considering at least one or two quality lenses--not L's, but decent primes. Somebody who just wants small, but otherwise has little knowledge of photography, will also be looking at mirrorless, which is slimmer in most cases...

Doubt this is for "Asian women buying bucketloads of M100's," like I've read in another thread. So, who is the target?

Coming from an 80d and 5d4, I'll have to agree with this since I adjust almost all lenses I have, both Canon and Tamron, and getting the shot in focus is the most important thing. OVF gets much better battery life than dpaf. One thing to mitigate this, as others have mentioned, is to use 3rd party lenses, and use their interface/dock to adjust.

I'm not sure how many people who are "stepping up to DSLRs" buy one or two decent primes to start. I could be out of touch, but it seems to me that most people who start with entry level cameras go and buy a 50/1.x that they don't use, favoring instead something like the 55-250 or 18-135 range, or a sigma/tamron superzoom that goes from xx-300. As we march on, it also seems to me that there are fewer and fewer "entry level primes" (by any company), with the focus on most of the new primes being high end ones, or specialty high end (like those new TSE).

By the way, I really like how then the bezel is on the SL2 for a fully articulating screen.

FWIW I think most people who buy an entry dslr buy the kit zoom lens kit which for most, including me, is good enough for what the kit is used for, At least Compared to a bunch of primes. Plenty of people are afraid to change lenses either because they think it damages the camera or they are afraid of getting the inside of the camera dirty.

In sunlight dpaf is hard for me to use especially when the sun is behind the camera.

I have a couple of DSLRs, but I also have a Lumix G7 to carry around for street stuff. And while I mostly use the LCD for taking photos because of the freedom it allows, I really like the EVF for chimping, and just reviewing photos in general. Using just an LCD as a sort of mirrorless equivalent wouldn't really work that well for me (of course, neither would a mirrorless with no EVF).

I have one and have focal pro and have done my AFMA bit on my 500mm, 70-200mm, etc with other boides.

Never even entered my mind to do it on the SL2, as like the video shows, its best used with plastic zoom lenses or a pancake. Most of my pictures are for wider shots, or with lots of DOF, or for video. I dont use the screens much for stills, but being able to do ground or overhead shots of crowds etc, the screen is great. If the target is static I can use DPAF if a focus point is particularly is really critical, if it isnt, then the AF system isnt good enough that AFMA is going to be a great help in my view.

I did really toss up whether to get the M5 though, and probably would have got it if it came in EF, but I just didnt want to have to get another set of lenses or mess around with a converter, and this was cheaper to boot.

It's literally the exact same sensor. More importantly it has a newer processor. For some reason people think the sensor is the be-all end-all factor in image quality, but the processor is more important for the most critical factors such as noise. (Sensor is really more responsible just for colour depth, which isn't that important these days as every sensor made in the last ten years has colour depth well exceeding any common display or standard photo printer.)The 80D uses a DIGIC 6, and that sensor & processor combination is also found in the M3; both cameras are rated with the same noise. The M5 and M6 use the same 80D sensor but with a DIGIC 7 processor and are rated for about 1/3rd stop less noise, on top of that same colour accuracy, colour depth, and dynamic range.The 200D/SL2 has that DIGIC 7 processor, meaning it has the same imaging chain as the M5 and M6.

In other words, this little 'entry' SLR has the best APS-C image quality currently available from Canon. Better than the 80D. Better than the 7D2. Better than some of the older 35mm sensors, in fact. (Anything up to and including the 1Ds3, and arguably the 5D2 for some specific uses.)

The 7D3 will probably exceed it, as that is expected to once again have the same 24mp APS-C sensor but with either two DIGIC 7 processors or a DIGIC 7+ (possibly even two 7+) and better heat management and higher voltage, allowing for the processors to also be clocked a little higher as well. Lower heat and higher clock means a little less noise all-round, plus the workload being split over two processors also of course greatly improves the processor's ability to handle the sensor readout cleanly, so dynamic range and colour accuracy at higher ISO should also improve slightly. (Won't make any difference at lower ISO.)

So if you can wait 8-12 months and care enough about the format to pay the premium, the 7D3 might be the replacement you really want for your older APS-C systems. But if you go for a 200D/SL2 right now, let alone when the price drops a little, you'll still be getting basically the best APS-C image quality possible from Canon.

Can someone please tell if it can shoot/track continuously in LV?I'm thinking to buy this + the 35 macro for my daughter, and somewhat concerned because of lack of AFMA. I know, it could be irrelevant shooting at f/5.6, but at f/2.8 accurate AF still matters